The black asphalt absorbs the last rays of sun, the heat shimmering in a golden haze in front of me. I push forward, my neon running shoes sticking to the melting road. Is it melting? Or am I melting? When I left my house to go for a run, I could have sworn it was cool outside. There was a light breeze that chilled my bare arms and legs. What happened to that breeze? It has vanished, along with the tender warmth of the sun, which has now turned to fire against my skin. My face is covered in a thin layer of sweat, I try to wipe it away but to no avail. The sweat returns along with an unquenchable thirst.
The heat rolls off the ground in waves, wrapping around my legs, hips, waist, arms. I run, trying to flee the onslaught of warmth crawling up my legs and the weight of the sun on my head and shoulders. The world starts to blur and tilt, turning soft at the edges. I am focused on the uneven and pothole riddled ground in front of my feet. With tunnel vision I push on.
Run. Run until you can't think, breath, feel. Let your mind go blank and your body take over. Keep your pace, don't slow down. Everything moving in time, my heart beats with the rhythm of my feet, my legs and arms pump together. The synchronized movement of my own body is hypnotizing.
The world has gone silent, except for the sound of my ragged breaths. Loud gasps as I inhale and exhale, filling my lungs with sweet air. My legs are now moving on pure momentum. The exertion turning them to jello. Every muscle in my body screams for a break. Nothing matters except that stitch in my side and the strength that pushes me forward. As I run, my mind is oddly at peace. I don't think. Exhaustion and adrenaline mix together to create a cocktail of emotions that rush through me.
The sun is slowly making its way toward the horizon, the last rays turn the sky a hue of oranges, yellows, purples and blues. The white fluffy clouds have been dyed by the backdrop of the colorful sky. As I slow, I again feel the breeze. It dries the sweat along my brow and sends a chill down my spine. Sound returns to the world as cars pass and birds chirp in a cacophonous salute to the setting sun. The world has re-solidified with sharp edges and bright, blinding colors. My heart beat slows as my muscles relax and my breathing becomes even. The breeze picks up. I am no longer melting. I am alive.
I enjoy the term "a cocktail of emotions" that you used, though we don't really know exactly what these emotions are. You are at peace, you are exhausted, and you've got adrenaline coursing through you, but we don't get the feelings specifically.
ReplyDeleteInstead, you say, "I am no longer melting. I am alive." At first, I wondered why it sounded as though you could not be both. As you were still alive while running even through the heat, but I realized it sounds like that was the point.
It makes me think about how exercise, be it running or whatever else, can be good for the body. When you start, you don't really feel all the emotions you've got bearing down until you get going. Suddenly, it feels like you're all crowded with it, just like the heat. But by the end, those emotions slide right off. That peacefulness stays, and you could be yourself.
That's what I got from this piece, and I really like it. Although, I am not fond of running, honestly.